A job fair in Falls Township in 2014.
Credit: Amanda Kuehnle/LevittownNow.com
Recent reports conducted by Warminster-based job board and resource site, RecruitmentQueen.com, and SCORE Bucks County have yielded quite positive and exciting results for 2016 job seekers.
The RecruitmentQueen survey, administered by the hyper-local job service in December 2015, measured results from hundreds of Bucks County employers which represent companies in the healthcare, non-profit, energy and utilities, transportation, finance, education, professional services, manufacturing and staffing agency industries.
According to the survey, 95 percent of employers who participated foresee hiring in the upcoming year, a 66 percent increase from last year.
“I would anticipate that these companies are going through a period of growth which is resulting in the increase in hiring versus last year,” said RecruitmentQueen CEO and Founder Jennifer Schultz. “I think also the data that shows 16 percent of employers surveyed are planning on hiring 350 or more employees is a staggering amount of jobs in our area just looking at this result alone.”
The biggest challenge in hiring, according to 30 percent of participating employers in the RecruitmentQueen survey, is a lack of qualified talent in the job market, followed by 21 percent who are concerned with a tightening of the availability of active job seekers finding jobs elsewhere, and 17 percent who think they will be faced with problems of retaining new hires.
SCORE Bucks County recently also released their annual survey of local small business optimism.
While there’s been a decrease of 10 percent, SCORE representatives maintain that small business clients remain positive about the outlook for growing their sales this year, with 70 percent expecting to increase business equaling last year’s assessment. Prospects for hiring quality staff have also improved according to SCORE, with 45 percent optimistic about acquiring the right talent versus 30 percent last year.
For those eager to be hired by a Bucks County company focused on growth in the new year, RecruitmentQueen’s founder has some recommendations to help you get ahead of the competition.
“[First], have a marketable resume – free from errors – that focuses on skills and strengths,” she told LevittownNow.com. “Make sure to lead off with a powerful professional summary that recruiters will pay attention to [and] post your resume on local job boards so employers can find you.”
Another recommendation the job guru has: Clean up your social media profiles. “Recruiters check these out when they are considering candidates,” said Schultz. She also recommends all impending job seekers create a free professional profile on LinkedIn.
Third, she recommends seekers go after jobs that match your skill set. “Don’t just say I can do anything! Recruiters don’t know what type of role you will fit in. Be clear about what job you want,” she said. “Seek out professional support from local resources if you find you are spinning your wheels looking for a job. RecruitmentQueen & PA CareerLink can help.”
It’s also helpful to stick to what you know when it comes to conducting your job search. “Use your network to find a job – think about family, friends, neighbors and who they work for. Find out if they like their job and why,” said Schultz.
“There ARE jobs in Bucks County and employers are hiring … but, it does take commitment to find a job. [Don’t] give up, just maybe change the way that [you] have been looking in the past and try new avenues,” she said. “Understand what employers are in your backyard and what they are hiring for.”
